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Tuesday, 18 December 2012

John isn't well. As such, we had to cancel our Christmas special we had scheduled for the 17th. This is particularly annoying, as John had put loads of work into it, even going and buying props as well as spending an age compiling some festive treats. Instead, valued reader, you get first look at what would have been played had leaving the house for a couple of hours seemed like a good idea.

The Fall - Hark, The Herald Angels
I love The Fall. Their continued existence is a minor miracle in itself. This is off a 1994 Peel session.

Half Man Half Biscuit - It's Cliched To Be Cynical At Christmas
The greatest band in the world, themselves no stranger to the chippy and cynical, give the likes of me a lesson that it's not cool to sneer at this time of year. This is from the 2000 album Trouble Over Bridgwater.

Pomplamoose - Always In The Season
An interesting bunch, these are from Corte Madera in California and this is from the 2010 EP Christmas In Space.

Belle and Sebastian - Are You Coming Over For Christmas?
The Glasgow aesthetes with their 2007 festive single

Tim Minchin - White Wine In The Sun
The Australian poet/comedian/everything else with his admittedly sentimental paean to the Christmases of the ex-pat. Released as a single in 2009.

Sufjan Stevens - That Was The Worst Christmas Ever
Yeah, OK, not the cheeriest of lyrics or anything, but it's a lovely tune and fits the theme. This was on 2006's Songs For Christmas.

Jethro Tull - A Christmas Song
Getting our folk on with a slating of the inherent hypocrisy this time of year brings out. As relevant now as it was in 1976 when this was released on the EP Ring Out, Solstice Bells.

The Sonics - Don't Believe In Christmas
105 seconds of old school garage. From the 1965 compilation Merry Christmas which came out on the Etiquette label.

Thurl Ravenscroft - The Grinch Song
The theme from the 1966 animated film How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Ravenscroft was originally uncredited for his performance. The film (spoiler alert) shows the indefatigability of the spirit of man which The Grinch finally comes to see. So it's a heart-warming Christmas tale, right?

The Pretenders - 2000 Miles
Just about the only one of the usual suspects I can abide. This acoustic version is particularly delightful.

Wedding Present and Simone White - Holly Jolly Hollywood
Ah, Mr Gedge. Gone all Hollywood on us, eh? From the 2008 EP of the same name.

Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
A 1987 offering from the New Yorkers, and no, let's not fight this year eh?

Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman
The question you have to ask is why wouldn't some Scottish art-poppers cover Frosty The Snowman? This is from the EP Snow released in 1993.

Eels - Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
And unless the Mayans were right, it probably will be. From "B-sides and Rarities" which came out in 2005.

I Break Horses - Winter Beats
Possibly not even a Christmas record in the grander scheme, but it has the word 'winter' in the title and I like it, so I'm having it. I Break Horses are Maria Linden and Fredrik Balck from Stockholm and this is off the album Hearts which came out last August.

The Leisure Society - Last Of The Melting Snow
From Brighton, this is off the 2009 album The Sleeper.

Shonen Knife - Sweet Christmas
Osaka's finest all-girl pop-punk outfit, they've done loads of Christmas songs. This one's about making a cake and was released as a single in 2011.

Half Man Half Biscuit - All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
I couldn't do Christmas without this, could I? From 1986's EP Trumpton Riots and subsequently on the re-issue of their debut album Back In The DHSS.

So disappointed we couldn't do this last night, but... well, y'know. And it was going to be our last show for a while too. We're not back on air until January 7 now as we, in line with all the major European leagues except England, take our winter break.
Merry Christmas to all our readers and listeners.

Monday, 10 December 2012

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take FiveJohn: We don't play enough jazz on this show, so let's put that right. The unmistakeable tones of Dave Brubeck who died last week aged 91, that's from 1959.

Haim - Don't Save MeJohn: Three sisters - Este, Danielle and Alana - from LA, that's from the album Forever which came out last week.Carolyn: That's a big '80s vibe right there.

Temples - Shelter SongJohn: While this has a big '60s feel to it, much in the way Tame Impala and Django Django do.Carolyn: Are we just repeating things now?John: Well, I guess the first things you hear are your parents record collection and it leaves an impression.

Cover Version CornerJacques Brel/Scott Walker - JackieJohn: A proper foot-stomper that. Scott Walker, one of the Walker Brothers who were neither brothers nor called Walker - he's Noel Engel - in a Trade Descriptions nightmare. That's from the imaginatively titled second album Scott 2 back in 1967. Brel's original is a year earlier and you find pretty much everything he recorded has been covered by someone. Walker has a new album out - Bish Bosch - and he sounds as good as ever.

The Raveonettes - The EnemyJohn: From Copenhagen, that's off the new album Observator.

Suzi Chunk - No Stone UnturnedJohn: More '60s stylings, that could pass for Dusty Springfield. She's from Teesside and that's off Girl From The Neck Down.

Paco Zambrano Y Su Combo - MeshkalinaJohn: Originally recorded in 1969, that's on a new release from Tiger's Milk records which is a label specialising in hard-to-find Latin records.Carolyn: Sounds pretty much your sort of thing.John: It is, yeah. They're from Peru.

Yeasayer - Reagan's SkeletonJohn: From Brooklyn, that's off the album Fragrant World, but what does it sound like?Carolyn: The Beloved - Sweet Harmony.

One Degree Of SeparationPugwash - Take Me AwayThe Divine Comedy - I LikeJohn: One of the great songwriters of the age, that's a joyful one from the Divine Comedy. Off the 2010 album Bang Goes The Knighthood. Before that was Pugwash from 2008 and the album Eleven Modern Antiquities. Tommy Walsh from Pugwash and Neil Hannon collaborated on the seminal cricket concept album under the guise of The Duckworth Lewis Method.Carolyn: Not Tommy Walsh from those DIY shows?John: No. You know, it's not unheard of that people can have the same name as someone else.

Ultraista - Bad InsectJohn: From the album Ultraista which is out now.

Talulah Gosh - Beatnik BoyJohn: We play that as Elizabeth Price, formerly of Talulah Gosh, won the Turner Prizer this week for her video installation The Woolworth's Choir Of 1979. That's from 1986.

Swiss Lips - In The WaterJohn: Not got much on these. They're from Manchester is about it.

Website bonus tracks that we didn't play for time reasons:Gorillaz - On Melancholy HillRichard Hell and The Voidoids - Blank GenerationLCD Soundsystem - All My FriendsSection 25 - Looking From A Hilltop

Monday, 3 December 2012

Packed the box for tonight and didn't get anywhere near playing it all.

Mystery Jets - Saviour (The Hale Bop)John: New one from these off the album Radlands which was out earlier this year

Boards of Canada - Dawn ChorusJohn: Seeing as the Bank of England is about to be run by a CanadianCarolyn: Didn't like that at allJohn: Ten years old, off 2002's Geogaddi

Foals - InhalerJohn: New one from these off Holy Fire which comes out in February. Bit of a harder edge to previous stuff.

Cover Version CornerPaul Revere and the Raiders/Modern Rocketry - (I'm Not Your) Steppin' StoneJohn: There are dozens of covers of this. We could have chosen the Sex Pistols, Minor Threat, Johnny Thunders, The Farm... Instead, we went for Modern Rocketry's 12" mix on the basis this is supposed to show two totally different interpretations. That was from 1983, Paul Revere from 1966.

Tame Impala - Mind MischiefJohn: New from these off the album LonerismCarolyn: Really like that. We've had a few from these before haven't we?John: We have. One of the albums of the year

The Damned - New RoseJohn: Their debut single from 1976. They played Leeds last week and stormed it.

Delphic - BaiyaJohn: It went a bit '80s in the middle there.Carolyn: It started a bit '80s and stayed there. Not that there's anything wrong with thatJohn: That's off the album Collections which comes out in January

Majestyy - The NotionJohn: With two Ys, that's available as a free download from their Soundcloud page

One Degree of SeparationMartin Rossiter - Drop AnchorGene - Haunted By YouJohn: The Gene track is from 1995 and their debut album Olympian. They were notable for being a bit Smiths-esqueCarolyn: A bit? Very.John: Martin Rossiter took a long sabbatical and is back with this single which is off the album The Defenestration Of St Martin which came out last week and is a sublime piece of song writing

Nathan Fake - PaeanJohn: Off the album Steam Days, that's out sort of now-ish. I think

Seasick Steve - Don't Know Why She Loves Me But She DoJohn: Love that. If that hasn't got your foot tapping, something's wrong.Carolyn: Mine was goingJohn: He's 71 (to the best of anyone's knowledge) is Steven Gene Wold and makes a lot of his own instruments. I've seen him play a single-string contraption, guitars made from hubcaps, cigar boxes... That's off last year's album Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

Miike Snow - Paddling OutJohn: With two IsCaarolyyn: I'm going to start spelling my name with two As and two YsJohn: Miike Snow is Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg from Stockholm and that's from 2010's album Happy To You

Bonus website extras:
Stuff in the box we didn't get round to playing on a time/total disorganisation basis...

Monday, 26 November 2012

The Beatles - TaxmanJohn: George didn't want to pay his taxes back in 1966. Dangerously close to jumping the shark there, you class warriors.

Eric B and Rakim - Paid In FullJohn: Yeah, which we'd rather be too. Some early hip-hop there from 1987, a time when there was no such thing as too many samples.Carolyn: Yes, like 'we've got all these bits, let's shove another one in'

Cover Version CornerRoyal Festival Orchestra/The Cats - Swan LakeJohn: The Royal Festival Orchestra playing Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake - well, a bit of it - and a ska'd up version which is great for when the sun's out, roof down on the car and the volume up.

The Shins - Simple SongJohn: From the current album Port Of Morrow. They are from Albuquerque.

Massive Attack - Unfinished SympathyJohn: In what is becoming a feature where we make everyone feel old, that's off Blue Lines which is 21 years old.Carolyn: It can't be. I refuse to accept time has passed so quickly.John: This show is becoming like a musical Logan's Run. 'I'm still young!'

Groove Armada - Paper RomanceJohn: They have a new single out, Pull Up, but this is from a couple of years ago off the album Black Light.

Adam Green and Binki Shapiro - Here I AmJohn: Out now, that's off the album also called Adam Green and Binki Shapiro and jolly pleasant it is too.Carolyn: Binki?

One Degree Of SeparationThe Smiths - I Want The One I Can't HaveMorrissey - You're The One For Me, FattyJohn: Not exactly going for a massive leap here. These are Matt's choices. Any reason behind picking those tracks?Matt: I still think he's among the best live artists around today and they're two really good tunes.John: First the Smiths from Meat Is Murder back in 1985 and the second from Your Arsenal in 1992.

Steve Mason - Lost and FoundJohn: The ex-Beta Band man, that's off Boys Outside which came out in 2010.

The Primitives - CrashJohn: Another one to make us feel old, that's from 1988. Two minutes, bosh, done, perfect.Carolyn: I was looking for that the other day. And now we have it. That's not the single version though is it?John: No, that was a recording from an Andy Kershaw session.

White Denim - Street JoyJohn: From Austin, Texas, that's off last year's album D. As in the letter D.Carolyn: White Denim had to be from Texas.

Ty Segall - Thank God For SinnersJohn: From San Francisco, that's off the album Twins which is out now.Carolyn: Lots of old stuff tonight, but finish on something new.

Monday, 19 November 2012

Maximo Park - The National HealthJohn: From the album of the same name that came out earlier this year

Gang Of Four - To Hell With PovertyJohn: From Leeds, that was them railing against a previous age of austerity and worth another listen now.Carolyn: Am I detecting a theme?John: A little bit. A lot of things got me angry in the week.

Camper Van Beethoven - Take The Skinheads BowlingJohn: But here's a solution to all the problems - just go bowlingCarolyn: With your knees?John: Yes, last time I went, I was laid up for a week.

Cover Version CornerEdith Piaf - Non, Je Ne Regrette RienHalf Man Half Biscuit featuring Margi Clarke - No RegretsJohn: Unmistakably Edith Piaf first, then the greatest band in the world singing it in English. Can't believe it's taken me so long to play them.Carolyn: Yes, I know you like them.John: They are the greatest band in the world. That's a non-album track from 1991.

Paws - Sore TummyJohn: This has been doing the rounds for a bit and I've finally got my hands on it. It's their first single from the album Cokefloat which is out about now.

Belly - Feed The TreeJohn: From back in 1993, off their debut album Star. They kind of got lost in that glut of 1990s, female-fronted indie bands like Elastica, Sleeper and Echobelly, but worth digging out.Carolyn: Is she singing 'take your hat off' or 'take your head off'?

DJ Shadow - Midnight In A Perfect WorldJohn: From his debut album Endtroducing, which I discovered isn't easy to say out loud.

Toy - Make It MineJohn: We've played these a few times before, including the ten-minute epic Kopter. This is a little more laid back, but also off their debut album which is also called Toy.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Swim And Sleep (Like A Shark)John: A US/NZ project based in Portland, Oregon. This is off their forthcoming second album, II, which is out in February.Carolyn: So we're bang up to date then?John: And our next track is from 1987...Carolyn: Ah.

One Degree Of SeparationEcho And The Bunnymen - Lips Like SugarThe KLF - 3am EternalJohn: The KLF with a rave classic from the early '90s, one of Bill Drummond's many and varied projects. Your link here is that Echo and the Bunnymen released their early stuff on Drummond's label, Zoo, which he ran with Dave Balfe. That was Lips Like Sugar from their fifth album, called Echo And The Bunnymen. They did four thinking up original names and then got to five and phoned it in. Pfft.

Friends - Va Fan Gör DuJohn: Bright, poppy, short. They're from Brooklyn and I like that 1970s hand-clap vibe.Carolyn: Yeah, it has a sort of playground feel. John: The title, I believe, is Swedish for 'what the hell do you want?'

Tegan and Sara - I'm Not Your HeroJohn: Identical twin sisters from Calgary, that's off the album Heart Throb which is out in January. I like that a lot - it reminds me of something, but I can't think what.Carolyn: It does sound familiar.John: I'll just have to listen to it more, which wouldn't be a chore as I really like it.

Cheatahs - The SwanJohn: From their debut EP, Sans, which was out last month.

Thursday, 15 November 2012

I know I've previously said we don't have themes as such on the show, even if we did play a bunch of eight/nine-minuters a few weeks back, but...

It can't have escaped your notice that it's getting dark early. Indeed, there are only six broadcasting weeks to christmas. Now, on christmas morning last year, I did a sort of Twitter playlist-type thing with all sorts of not-so-common christmas records and for our last show before this year's festivities I'm planning on reprising that and extending it (and replacing those records unsuitable for broadcast like Splodgenessabounds' 'Bollocks To Christmas').
The staples will be in there - All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit, 2000 Miles, The Grinch Song - but if you've got any suggestions, stick them in the comments or tweet me or Carolyn.

In planning next week's show, I seem to have a bunch of records with brackets (in the title). Is it possible to make an hour show - including the usual format ideas - solely of records with brackets (in the title)? I suspect it might be and I'm now determined to prove it. So again, any suggestions for that, let us know.

Monday, 12 November 2012

Vessels - The Sky Was PinkCarolyn: Didn't like that at all. Five minutes I'm not getting back. John: From Leeds, that's available on a free downloadCarolyn: So they can't even sell it?John: Yeah, you've made your point. Split the room has that

Opossom - Blue MeaniesJohn: Opossom is Kody Nielson from Auckland. Got a bit of a Beck feel to it.

Dinosaur Jr - Pierce The Morning RainJohn: You can't mistake them for anyone else. The new single from the album I Bet On Sky

Cover Version CornerLouis Armstrong/Joey Ramone - What A Wonderful WorldCarolyn: Two totally different interpretations, which is what this is aboutJohn: The Joey Ramone one was from 2002, released posthumously after his untimely death in 2001. Armstrong from 1968 from the album also titled What A Wonderful World

Melt Yourself Down - We Are EnoughJohn: Alt jazz, it says here. Not sure what that means, but that's got a killer bassline. A 6-piece band with a couple of saxophones, that was released a couple of weeks ago.

Roosevelt - SeaJohn: From Cologne. We're having another cosmopolitan show

Caribou - OdessaJohn: Speaking of cosmopolitan, Caribou is Daniel Smith from Ontario. That's off the album Swim from 2010

One Degree Of SeparationBlur - There's No Other WayGraham Coxon - Freakin' OutJohn: Coxon left Blur and released a few albums. That track is off Happiness In Magazines from 2004. But they all got back together for the lucrative reunion this year. 21 years ago, that's when There's No Other Way was released.Carolyn: Is this another one you put in just to make me feel old?

Dutch Uncles - FesterJohn: Played these before. They're from Stockport and that's out from the album Out Of Touch With The Wild that's released in January

The Horrors - I Can See Through YouJohn: From Southend, that was off last year's album Skying

The Invisible - GenerationalJohn: From the album Rispah which came out in July

Monday, 5 November 2012

Back after a week off and we start with a public service announcement...

Public Service Broadcasting - EverestJohn: The new one from this intriguing project, this is out next Monday.Carolyn: We've had them before. They've basically ripped it from Charley Says...

Rhye - The FallJohn: Details on these are sketchy. They're LA-based, but European in origin and that's all I've got on them.Carolyn: How enigmatic

Cover Version CornerMarvin Gaye/The Slits - Heard It Through The GrapevineCarolyn: This is what Cover Version Corner is about - where they're completely different.John: Well that is what we're trying to do here. The Slits, their debut single from 1979 from the album Cut and, of course, Marvin Gaye from 1969 off the album of the same name.

Two Door Cinema Club - SunJohn: The new single from these, out on the 23rd of this month.Carolyn: Another one we've had before. It's good, that.

Elbow - Whisper GrassJohn: From the new album Dead In The Boot, designed (it says here) to be listened to as an album.Carolyn: Rather than piecemeal, as is the modern way with downloading individual tracks.

Manic Street Preachers - Your Love Alone Is Not EnoughJohn: With Nina Persson from The Cardigans on guest vocals. From the 2007 album Send Away The Tigers, but we play that because it's 20 years since their debut with Generation Terrorists.Carolyn: I feel old.John: There's loads of things like that. It's 20 years since Reservoir Dogs, for instance.Carolyn: I think when it's 20 years since Pulp Fiction, I'll really feel old as it's the first film we went to see together.

Lianne La Havas - ForgetJohn: From her debut album Is Your Love Big Enough? which, scandalously, didn't win the Mercury Prize. Neither did our favourite, Django Django, or the sentimental option of Richard Hawley. Instead, it was the one album on the list I didn't like.Carolyn: You were not happy about that. But, Alt-J, Leeds University, bit of a local connection?John: I just don't like it. I realise I might be in a minority, but that's what makes the world go round.

One Degree Of SeparationWedding Present - Don't Take Me Home Until I'm DrunkThe Ukrainians - Cherez Richku, Cherez HaiCarolyn: Well I wasn't expecting that. Normally, the two records in this section are quite similar... Go on then, what is it?John: Two Leeds bands. First, the Wedding Present, from their seventh album El Rey out in 2008. That was followed by The Ukrainians, a modernised Ukrainian folk band formed by Weddoes guitarist Peter Solowka as he tried to get in touch with his Ukrainian roots. The title means 'across the river, through the wood' and is from the album also called The Ukrainians.

El Perro Del Mar - Hold Off The DawnJohn: Back to Scandinavian singers here. El Perro del Mar - Sea Dog, I suppose - the name under which Sarah Assbring performs. She's from Gothenburg which is...Carolyn: ...somewhere I've been. Lovely city. The people are really friendly.

Motorama - To The SouthJohn: To Russia now. It's a cosmopolitan show tonight. These are from Rostov-on-Don and that's all I've got on these.

Dark Horses - AloneJohn: And to finish, the new one from their debut album Black Music which was released last Monday. So much more I wanted to put in tonight - maybe next week.

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

﻿I don't do many of these, but as it's a music blog, it seems borderline relevant. I wrote this for another project initially, but it'll do to go here as well. John

Formerly known as the ranty noise-maker behind poet/rapper Scroobius Pip, Dan le Sac's debut album was released in July.

After
two albums as a duo – Angles in 2008 and Logic of Chance two years
later – both let themselves off the leash with solo projects, Pip with
Distraction Pieces last year and now this, Space Between The Words,
where le Sac collaborates with a range of artists to produce something
unique and stylish.

On Distraction Pieces, Pip takes a
turn for the dark side, but his producer proves to be quite the magpie,
flitting from style to style, artist to artist with ease and a deftness
of touch that certainly wasn't present on Angles. Clearly he wasn't
about to start singing, but the range and quality of the artists he's
been able to work with on this album speaks volumes for the regard he's
held in as a producer. There's a clear trust that he's not about to
butcher their babies, their songs.

The two tracks
released to the world ahead of the album are the most obvious singles.
Play Along, featuring Sarah Williams White, has the air of Lily Allen's
evil twin sister about it. Pip collaborator B Dolan voices Caretaker, a Lyrically
intelligent piece with the chart appeal of something like
Gangster's Paradise. Perhaps it needs adding to a film soundtrack to
push it over the top – there's certainly plenty on here that would not
sounds out of place in a cinematic environment.

Memorial
is reminiscent of early Portishead, Emmy the Great's vocal sounding uncannily
like Beth Gibbons, while the thumping beat – with vocals to match from
Joshua Idehen – of Tuning is a foot-stomping floor-filler.

But
the masterpiece is saved to last and it's the album in microcosm.
Cherubs begins like a Sigur Ros record, all floaty and ethereal with an
idiosyncratic percussion track. Then Pete Hefferan's vocals – he of Pete
and the Pirates – kick in with a Robert Smith quality lending a Cure
vibe to things, though never enough to overwhelm the unique sound Dan
has been able to infuse the whole album with.

Comparisons
are inevitable, but putting that to one side, this is a mightily
impressive piece of work. So often, producer-led projects can sound
cold, clinical, just too damn efficient. Not this; this is varied, warm
and engaging. Thou shalt not make repetitive generic music seems a life
lesson well lived.

Monday, 22 October 2012

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - The NightJohn: Reached number seven in 1975, but it's got a real contemporary feel to it. Mark Ronson's doing this, basically.Carolyn: It's certainly stood the test of time.

The Vaccines - I Always KnewCarolyn: That's two for two off that album now. Teenage Icon is catchy and so is this.John: That's the new single and it's out on November 11.

Little Comets - A Little OpusJohn: From Newcastle and the album, Life Is Elsewhere, was out last week.

Cover Version CornerVelvet Underground and Nico/Record Club - Femme FataleJohn: Record Club is a project Beck has put together where they cover a whole album in a day and this is off their first one. Also, Velvet Underground and Nico is re-released after a coat of varnish this week for it's 35th anniversary.

Django Django - Life's A BeachJohn: The fourth or fifth record from the album we've played on the show. It's terrific.Carolyn: It has a real '60s vibe.

The Go! Team - Buy Nothing DayJohn: As peppy a pop record as you could wish for.

No Ceremony - feelsolowJohn: I don't know anything about these, because there's nothing to know.

The Kingstonians - SuffererJohn: Skanking round the studio to that one. We don't play enough ska.Carolyn: Well you pick the records!John: Originally out in 1970, that's on a Trojan Records compilation called Boss Reggae

The Black Keys - Lonely BoyJohn: Less of a country feel to that than some of their others.Carolyn: I like the woah-woah-woahs

One Degree Of SeparationThe Streets - Let's Push Things ForwardThe d.o.t. feat. Claire Maguire and Danny Brown - You Never AskedJohn: Your link here is Mike Skinner, formerly recording as The Streets and that was his second single from way back in 2002. His new project with Rob Harvey, formerly of The Music, is The d.o.t. and their debut album, And That, is out today.

Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The GunJohn: From the album Contra from 2010.

Grimes - GenesisJohn: Grimes is Canadian chanteuse Claire Boucher.

Peace - BloodshakeJohn: From their debut EP Delicious which was out in August.

Monday, 15 October 2012

My Life Story - I DiveCarolyn: I chose this. I love the lyrics - you don't fall in love, you dive.John: They kind of got lost in all that Britpop stuff, but deserve a wider audience.

Rachel Zeffira - Break The SpellJohn: She's a Canadian singer and her debut album, The Deserters, is out in December.

The Zolas - Knot In My HeartJohn: Also Canadian. It's not like we just throw this together. I was hooked by the Doctor Who-like opening.Carolyn: I wonder who they're named after.John: Emile, Gianfranco... Calvin?

Cover Version CornerThe Cure/Dinosaur Jr - Just Like HeavenJohn: That Dinosaur Jr version ends abruptly. They're back together and recording again - new album out too.

Tuesday, 9 October 2012

We don't theme shows, but this week we did go for a few really long tracks. Hey, less work ain't it?

Palma Violets - Best Of Friends

Ride - Leave Them All BehindJohn: There is a four-minute radio edit of that, but you need all nine for me. Love it, love it, love it. Can't believe it's 20 years old.Carolyn: Not feeling it

Cover Version CornerEddie Cochran/Guitar Wolf - Summertime BluesJohn: Guitar Wolf, a Nagasaki-based punk group that have been around since the '80s. That was on the Scott Pilgrim vs The World soundtrack

Tame Impala - Music To Walk Home By

Pollens - Helping HandsJohn: I like how it ends up as a totally different record to how it starts. It's like it's in three movements

Toy - KopterJohn: How about that? Ten minutes of Krautrock brilliance. Don't know how you can take your ears off it.

(Still no name for this format idea - suggestions please)Super Furry Animals - (Drawing) Rings Around The WorldNeon Neon - I Told Her On AlderaanJohn: You can tell immediately what the link isCarolyn: The singerJohn: Yep. Gruff Rhys, lead singer of the Super Furry Animals who you heard first and his side project, Neon Neon, with producer Boom Bip

Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny - LilliputCarolyn: It's good that someone can hit the range of notes she does without warblingJohn: She comes from more of a folk tradition which might have something to do with it. Maybe?

Cover Version CornerTears For Fears/Gary Jules and Michael Andrews - Mad WorldJohn: The Gary Jules version featured on the soundtrack to Donnie Darko of course and was a christmas number one.Carolyn: I love how the two versions stir totally different emotions

Hookworms - Teen DreamsJohn: Very definitely influenced by the Krautrock scene - early Kraftwerk, Can and Neu! as part of a general revival we're noticing

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Coves - No Ladder

M83 - Midnight City

Pixies - Here Comes Your ManThe Breeders - CannonballJohn: Still not got a name for this section. Still want suggestions. Frank Black and Joey Santiago formed the Pixies and hired Kim Deal on bass. Kim and Kelley Deal formed the Breeders in one of the Pixies' numerous hiatuses

Django Django - StormJohn: Yes, again. Show favourites.

The Count and Sinden feat The Mystery Jets - After Dark

iamamiwhoami - GoodsJohn: We're only getting half of this here as it's very much an audio-visual project by Swedish duo Jonna Lee and Claes Bjorklund. Fortunately, this being both audio and visual....

The Flaming Lips - The W.A.N.DJohn: It stands for 'The will always negates defeat'

Kid Koala - 2-Bit BluesJohn: From the new album 12-Bit Blues which has such track titles as 1-bit Blues, 2-Bit Blues, 3-Bit Blues...Carolyn: Needs a bit of inspiration there, but otherwise it's very good

Public Service Broadcasting - SpitfireJohn: A very interesting project, snipping up old public service broadcasts and putting this sort of thing out.

The Black Keys - Little Black Submarines

Cover Version CornerJunior Murvin/The Clash - Police and ThievesJohn: That Clash one is a short version. The proper one is six and a bit minutes.

Blende - Fake Love

Marmalade Sky - ShowmenJohn: A Bristol-based mod-revivalist band and thanks to my mate Chappers for pointing me in their direction

Buzzcocks - Sixteen AgainMagazine - Definitive Gaze

John: A new format idea which we haven't really got a name for. Rock Family Trees was what I came up with, but I don't really like it. Suggestions please. (Drop us a tweet or leave a comment)Carolyn: So what's the connection?John: Howard de Voto was a founder member of the Buzzcocks, but was kicked out before they hit the big time and formed Magazine which was itself a pretty influential band. They're all back together now though, riding the wave of reunions

Melody's Echo Chamber - I Follow YouJohn: An interesting project between Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker and French singer Melody ProchetCarolyn: That's not working for me

David Holmes - I Heard WondersJohn: Is that a Krautrock influence I hear?

Django Django - DefaultMacabees - PelicanJohn: Both of these bands were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize this week and we'll have two more later

Simian Mobile Disco feat Beth Ditto - Cruel Intentions

Kele - Tenderoni

Cover Version CornerSimon and Garfunkel/The Lemonheads - Mrs RobinsonJohn: Simon and Garfunkel's version from which film?Carolyn: The GraduateJohn: And The Lemonheads?Carolyn: Not a clueJohn: Wayne's World 2Carolyn: Only you would know enough to care

Los Saicos - El Enterrio de los GatosJohn: There's a new documentary out that says punk didn't start in mid-'70s New York, but Lima a good ten years earlier and this band at the forefront. The title means 'the burial of the cats' and I do think you can see blues moving in a direction towards what we know as punk

Grizzly Bear - Yet Again

M83 - Reunion

Julian Cope - If You Loved Me At AllJohn: Possibly my second-favourite artist/band/whateverCarolyn: You want me to ask who your favourite is don't youJohn: You know who that is surelyCarolyn: Half Man Half Biscuit

Richard Hawley - Seek ItField Music - Who'll Pay The BillsJohn: Two more Mercury nominees. The others are: Ben Howard, Roller Trio, Sam Lee, Plan B, Alt-J, Jessie Ware, Michael Kiwanuka and Lianne La HavasCarolyn: Who do you want to win?John: It'd be nice if it was Richard Hawley, but Django Django is probably my favourite. Not Alt-J will be acceptable

Air - Seven StarsJohn: From the album Voyage Dans La Lune which is a re-imagining, as I believe they have it these days, of the score to the film of that name by the Lumiere Brothers

Richard Hawley - Seek It

Cornershop feat Bubbley Kaur - TopknotJohn: If you only know Cornershop from the Fatboy Slim remix of Brimful Of Asha, it might surprise you. This is them getting back in touch with their Punjabi roots with a previously unrecorded singer

Chemical Brothers - Theme for VelodromeJohn: One of a series of pieces commissioned for the Olympics. Impossible to not to draw comparisons to Kraftwerk

Euros Childs - That's BetterJohn: I'm really not sure whether I like this, but threw it in anyway for people to make their own minds upCarolyn: I'm not sure eitherJohn: Is it me or does it sound a bit like Cockney Rebel?

Beck - GirlJohn: Beck released a new work in the week only available as sheet musicCarolyn: That's odd. Why?John: Part of that whole debate about how to make music pay in the digital era. If it's illegal copying he's worried about though, he's clearly not heard of fax machines or photocopiers

Cover Version CornerBird - I Wanna Be Your DogJohn: A folk-funk version of the old Stooges recordCarolyn: I don't know the original. Maybe we should play that as well in future

Of Monsters And Men - Little Talks

Beat Connection - Further Out

Longpigs - On And OnJohn: Bloody love this one. Can't believe it's nearly 20 years old

Smoke Fairies - Let Me Know

Housemartins - Me And The FarmerJohn: I had a look at the video when I was putting the show together. Blimey, they look young. Top record though

The Kinks - VictoriaJohn: Victoria Pendleton had won gold at the Olympics during the week

Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench

Manic Street Preachers - You Stole The Sun From My Heart

Cover Version CornerDan le Sac feat. Pete Hefferan - CherubsJohn: Our first format idea - play a cracking cover of an old song. This is an old Arab Strap record done in a totally different way and it is bloody brilliant.

Belle and Sebastian - Boy With The Arab Strap

Jack White - Freedom At 21

Bob Marley and the Wailers - Redemption SongJohn: It was Jamaican Independence Day the previous weekend, the 50th anniversary, so we had to really

John: That's all I can remember. My record-taking picked up subsequently.

Here's your YouTube playlist, albeit with the Arab Strap original of Cherubs and not the Dan Le Sac/Pete Hefferan version.

Hi-Fi Curious airs Tuesdays between 7 and 8pm on 2HR, Huddersfield Hospital Radio, and is presented by Carolyn and John. Here's John in the studio, as viewed from Carolyn's engineer's seat:

He's probably air-drumming with his pen - he does that.

2HR only broadcasts to the hospital buildings at Huddersfield - licensing innit - so the show is only available to those unfortunate enough to find themselves in the HRI of a Tuesday evening. This companion blog will feature track listings, maybe some clips of the records we play and some comments about them from the pair of us.

We don't have a theme or a remit as such, just put together an entertaining hour of new music, old music, stuff you know, stuff you don't and a couple of format ideas (it's not just flung together, y'know). Hopefully there's something for everyone in there. That's the idea anyway.